A 17-year-old from Cumbria has passed his driving test on the first attempt after teaching himself using YouTube videos, saving more than £1,000 on conventional lessons. Ollie Bird, from Scotby near Carlisle, abandoned traditional instruction after a single £40 lesson and instead turned to online resources.
Bird spent 30 hours over two weeks watching videos created by qualified driving instructors, practising techniques on a computer-based driving simulator. He also drew on experience from go-kart racing and a racing simulator game to hone steering, gear changes, and braking. He passed his theory test the day after his 17th birthday on May 16, and sat his practical exam on June 6, just three weeks after turning 17.
“I was hearing horror stories from my friends about all the money people were spending on driving lessons – I didn’t want to be getting into all of that,” Bird said. An instructor had estimated he would need 25–30 hours of tuition, costing at least £1,200. “That’s a lot of money,” he added.
In addition to YouTube and the simulator, Bird practised driving with his parents to master road signs, parking, and reversing. He described the test as “really enjoyable” and said he was “shocked” to pass. “It was also really satisfying as a couple of people, including my parents, as they didn’t think I was going to,” he said.
